Osceola County School Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff shares his vision with the School Board to a crowd at Osceola Heritage Park Wednesday as part of his first State of Education address. (Photo/Ken Jackson)
Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff, the School District of Osceola County has operated under a slogan of “Every Day is Day One.”
It means that nobody in the district, from teachers to school administrators to district leadership, waits for a new school year, fresh calendar or perfect moment to make an impact on students.
Wednesday was another “Day One” for Shanoff, who was part of his first “State of Education” event since taking over the district in the summer of 2023. He and the School Board presented to a full crowd at Osceola Heritage Park’s Event Center.
Over the course of an hour, they spoke of how they are committedly pursuing an ‘A’ grade for the district – the district came oh-so-close in the 2024-25 school year, coming “2 percentage points away” from the threshold.
“We’re confident we will be an ‘A’ district in the near future,” School Board Chair and District 4 representative Heather Kahoun said.
“Our improvements over the two years are not by accident,” Shanoff said.
The superintendent touted the data points derived from assessments show where student learning gains have been made – heady measurable gains in Language Arts, mathematics and science that he said showed “the best assessment scores in district history.” That same data, which he leans strongly on, will find where continued gains can be made.
“We metric everything. We're obsessed,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch of (Key Performance Indicators) written into the strategic plan. Those are the ones that really kind of drive us.”
Shanoff and the Board gave Wednesday’s attendees a deeper look into the District’s five strategic pillars:
Achievement – along with assessment scores, District students have earned thousands of industry certifications, and NeoCity Academy earned the National Blue Ribbon School for its innovation.
“That’s how you make great things happen for students,” Kahoun said.
Alignment – One word to call the attempt to have all departments pulling in the same direction. The District is currently implementing an enterprise resource planning system; it began the process of finding the right one in January.
Engagement – from using its “Let’s Talk” platform, which reaches “anyone any way they like it”, to refining the link between attendance and achievement, leading to spotting the patterns of what keeps kids from coming to school.
Community – That includes creating connections in the classrooms, and creating choice options in those schools that impact academic outcomes.
Culture – “Our district stands out because of its culture of family,” Shanoff said, and Board member Bethzaida Garcia noted that, “Families at their best, bring out the best in each other.”
And, by preaching that each day is Day One, success can be built on while learning from then putting in the past any setbacks.
“Every sunrise brings another chance to inspire, to connect, to believe in our students and one another. It's not just a motto. It is a mindset that fears joyful commitment to show up,” Shanoff said. “I often say stock doesn't post on past successes. We build on them; brick by brick, moment by moment, student by student.
“Sometimes Day One means the copier jammed, the fire alarm went off accidentally at the start of lunch, or there’s a torrential downpour at dismissal time. But even in the chaos, we laugh, we adapt, and we stay centered on what matters most are children. Because in Osceola, we're not just building a school district. We're growing a family.”
“The work of education is both a calling and a team sport, and you're all on the team now. So as I close this morning, I ask you, not just as a superintendent, but as a proud member of this Osceola community. Lean in with us. Engage. Volunteer. Mentor. Ask questions. Cheer louder. Show up when no one's looking. Help us make every day one better than the last. Because when students see a village that shows up for them again and again, they begin to believe they are unstoppable. And let me tell you, they are together. Let's keep showing up. Smiling wide, sleeves rolled up, on a future we will create together.”
